Obama Painted Nation Into Corners

Standard-Examiner Editorial Board

Former President Barack Obama and his aides were very good at one thing — painting the nation into corners. They did it with health care, their campaign against coal and affordable electricity, and their deal with Iran.

Irreparable damage was done in every case. It remains for President Donald Trump and the current Congress to attempt to clean up the mess.

Trump declared Tuesday that the United States is pulling out of the 2015 agreement with Iran, regarding that nation’s nuclear weapons program. The question after his announcement is simple: What now?

Unfortunately, the answer is less easy to discern. Much of the reason for that stems from the Obama administration’s deal with Tehran.

Iran’s ruling mullahs scored an enormous victory in that agreement. Their goal in 2015 was to recover some of the cash U.S. officials had been holding for years, since the revolutionary Islamic regime took power. As much as $33 billion in payments were made.

Trump said new economic sanctions will be enforced against Iran. That country’s rulers are attempting to convince the leaders of Britain, Germany and France, also parties to the 2015 deal, to shun new sanctions.

Iranian leaders have said they will begin enriching uranium again, in a move toward building nuclear weapons. How the United States can counter that is a puzzle, because Obama gave away much of the leverage we once had.

Something needs to be done, however. Clearly, allowing the terrorist regime in Tehran to obtain nuclear weapons should not be seen as an option.